title: The C677T polymorphism in MTHFR is not associated with migraine in Portugal.
abstract: Migraine is a debilitating disorder affecting a large proportion of the population. The effect of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (GeneID: 4524) polymorphisms in migraine etiology and development has been a theme of great interest. Several populations were evaluated with contradictory results. In this case-control study, we investigated the effect of the C677T polymorphism in MTHFR, as a genetic risk factor for migraine, in the Portuguese population. We observed that, overall, there was no significant difference in the frequencies of MTHFR C677T genotypes or of the T-allele among the Portuguese migraineurs when compared to controls. There was also no association of migraine with aura with MTHFR genotypes or with the T-allele, in contrast with previous studies. Regarding the risk of the T-allele homozygote carriers, there was an equal probability to develop migraine with aura over migraine without aura in our patients. Thus, we conclude that the C677T MTHFR polymorphism, responsible for a reduction of the MTHFR activity in folate metabolism, is not a major genetic susceptibility factor for migraine in the Portuguese population.
authors.affiliation: UnIGENe-IBMC, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: Maria-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Alda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira-Monteiro
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sequeiros
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maciel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005838:Genotype; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics*; D020325:Migraine with Aura / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005492:Folic Acid; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)